Articles / The best online music makers in 2026
The best online music makers in 2026
Ten music tools run in the browser with nothing to install, two of them new in 2026. Mozarella is ours. The table matches each one to the job it does, the free tier, and the limit. Prices checked September 26, 2026.
| The job it wins | Free tier | The catch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mozarella | Sketching an original song | Compose and preview free | Not a DAW, no recording |
| BandLab | Free full studio + community | The studio, 16 tracks, ads | Pro $14.99/mo, Max $199/yr |
| Audiotool | Modular sound design | Everything, no limits | Steepest learning curve |
| Soundtrap | Collaboration, classrooms | Unlimited projects, free loops | HQ downloads on paid tiers, $11.99+/mo |
| Soundation | Learning loop-based production | Record and save MP3 | WAV export from $9.99/mo yearly |
| Amped Studio | VST3 plugins in a browser | 5 projects, MP3 only | Small free tier |
| BeepBox | Instant melody sketches | All of it, no account | Chiptune-leaning sound |
| Hookpad | Learning to write chords + melody | Piano only, no export | $7.99/mo, or $199 lifetime |
| openDAW | A free DAW with stems out, no account | Everything | 1.0 lands October 3, 2026 |
| Suno Studio | Generate first, then edit | None | Premier only, $30/mo |
Method: tools that run in a browser tab with nothing installed, judged on the one job each does best. Prices and free tiers come from each vendor's site as of September 26, 2026.
Mozarella (ours)
Free to compose. Vocals and studio export from $19 a month.
Mozarella is a song sketch pad. You pick a key, place chords and sections, write or reroll the melody, choose instruments, and hear the arrangement as you go. AI vocals sing that melody with your lyrics, and studio export hands MIDI and stems to a DAW. Composing is free. The vocal engine and export pack start at $19 a month.
It does not record audio, mix a release, or host a feed. Use it to get the song playing, then record or mix somewhere else. Try it free.
BandLab
Free: the studio, 16 tracks, 15-minute projects, ads. Pro $14.99 a month or $99 the first year; Max $199 the first year.
The most complete free studio on the web: multitrack recording with takes, loops, MIDI, effects, mobile apps, and a social network around the projects. Mixdowns, per-track WAV and MIDI, and stems export on the free tier. In 2026 the membership split into Pro and Max, both bundling Cakewalk on the desktop, and members got AutoMix, a voice changer, and audio-to-MIDI. The account also carries a feed, follower counts, and a steady push toward Pro.
Audiotool
Free. No ads, no paid tier.
A modular studio where you patch synths, drum machines, and effects with virtual cables. No track limits, no feature gates. A redesigned Studio went into open beta in February 2026, and Audiotool 3.0, a rebuild with real-time multiplayer, was announced in July. No native MIDI export, and stems come out one soloed mixdown at a time. The learning curve is the steepest on this list. Electronic producers stay with the patching, and songwriters usually leave.
Soundtrap
Free: unlimited projects, recording, the free loop and instrument library. Four paid tiers, $11.99 to $19.99 a month, from $9.59 billed yearly.
Clean interface, real-time collaboration, and cloud projects that autosave, which is why schools use it. Spotify sold it back to its founders in 2023. High-quality downloads and MIDI export sit on the paid tiers. No third-party plugins, and the mobile apps lag the browser version.
Soundation
Free: record and save MP3. Starter $9.99 a month (MP3 export), Creator $14.99 (WAV, stems), Pro $49.99; about a third less billed yearly.
A loop-first DAW for learning how an arrangement is built. Prices are public again, and the paid tiers add AI credits, WAV export, and per-channel WAV and MIDI. Use BandLab when you need free WAV out.
Amped Studio
Free: 5 projects, 16 tracks, 5 instruments, MP3 only. Premium $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year; Premium+AI $9.99.
Amped Studio runs real VST3 plugins in the browser, which no one else here does. Paid plans start at $5.99 a month. The free tier is five projects, sixteen tracks, five instruments, and MP3 export only. Use it when you need those plugins on a machine that will not install a DAW.
BeepBox
Free. No account. Exports WAV, MP3, and MIDI.
Open the URL and place notes. There is no account and no save dialog, because the song lives in the link. The sound leans chiptune even with the expanded instruments. It is the fastest way on this list to hear whether a melody works.
Hookpad
Free: piano only, one melody voice, no export. Standard $7.99 a month or $199 lifetime; Aria AI add-on $14.99 a month.
Hooktheory's songwriting workbench. Chords and melody are color-coded by function, with eighty thousand analyzed songs behind them. You study and write harmony here. In 2026 it added mic recording and Aria V2. Arrangement and sound stay simple, and it has no sung vocals. Full comparison: Mozarella vs Hookpad, and Hookpad alternatives.
openDAW
Free, open source. No account. 1.0 releases October 3, 2026.
Records audio and MIDI with takes, exports every stem as a zip, and runs entirely in the tab. Until the 1.0 release it is a prototype at opendaw.studio, so expect rough edges and no mobile.
Suno Studio
Premier only, $30 a month. No free tier.
Suno's browser DAW, launched September 2025 and rebuilt as Studio 2.0 in August 2026: MIDI import and editing, stem separation, multitrack WAV export. Everything starts as a generation, and Suno's terms and lawsuits come with it. Who owns the result: Who owns a song made with AI?
Gone, or out of scope
WavTool went offline after Suno bought it in June 2025. Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker is a free browser demo that exports WAV and MIDI. Flat.io and Noteflight are notation apps, covered in Best tools for writing a song from scratch.
Pick by job
- Sketch an original song and hear it sung: Mozarella
- A free studio for recording, loops, and collaboration: BandLab
- Modular sound design, free: Audiotool
- Record together from different places: Soundtrap
- Hear a melody in about a minute: BeepBox
- Study how chords and melody work: Hookpad
- Run VST3s on a locked-down laptop: Amped Studio
- A free DAW with no account and stems out: openDAW
- Generate first, then edit: Suno Studio
Common questions
Which works best on a Chromebook or school laptop?
All of them run in Chrome with nothing to install. BandLab and Soundtrap are the proven classroom picks. Mozarella and BeepBox are the lightest. Audiotool is the heaviest and wants a decent machine.
Which are completely free?
Audiotool, BeepBox, and openDAW are free outright. BandLab's studio is free with 16 tracks and ads. Mozarella, Soundtrap, Soundation, Amped Studio, and Hookpad have free tiers with paid depth. Suno Studio has no free tier.
Can I record my voice or guitar in the browser?
Yes, in BandLab, Soundtrap, Amped Studio, Soundation, and openDAW. Hookpad added mic recording in 2026. Mozarella and BeepBox are writing tools; sketch there, record elsewhere.
Do I own what I make in these?
Music you compose yourself is your work in any of them. AI-generated tracks and loop packs keep their own terms. When ownership matters, write the notes yourself and read the terms on anything a model or a loop pack made for you.
Related
- Best tools for writing a song from scratch in 2026Five jobs, the best tool for each: chords, melody, words, a voice, a score.
- Hookpad alternatives (2026)One alternative per reason to leave: sung vocals, a DAW plugin, free exports, or paying once.
- Mozarella vs BandLabBandLab records and collaborates in the browser. Mozarella writes the chords, sections, and melody.
- Mozarella vs CubaseWrite it in Mozarella. Produce it in Cubase.
All articles. Mozarella is a song sketch pad in the browser, free to start. Open the app or read the FAQ.